Dad might’ve noticed that while I haven’t exactly been hanging out with Kaya, after that night I’ve been less distant and for some reason that bothers him.
Trust me, I’ve been so mad at his attitude toward the whole Kaya situation. I can see how he wants us to be a family but he doesn’t trust me and Reid around our stepsister. And the most infuriating thing about it all, is that my old man is damn right.
Deep down, I’ve been pissed at him for years, since he first told me and my brother that he expected us to have a sibling relationship with Kaya. He refers to her as ‘your sister’ every time he mentions her in front of me or Reid.
And I can’t really blame Dad too much for his attitude; I know he has his reasons for feeling the way he does and I know that I’m in part the cause of those feelings.
During my senior year of high school, I started hanging out with the daughter of one of Dad’s best friends.
I met her at the country club and we went out a few times. I had no intention for it to be anything serious and in my seventeen-year-old mind, I wasn’t doing anything wrong because I never mentioned a relationship or asked her to be my girlfriend or to be exclusive.
So I fucked her a couple of times and then moved on when I got bored.
Little did I know that the girl thought that I was her boyfriend and when she saw me out with someone else, she went crying to her dad.
And my father didn’t take it well at all. He warned me and Reid about the consequences of our actions and I know that he was really disappointed with my behavior.
He knew that Reid and I were partying a lot and sleeping around and I guess he didn’t care as long as we didn’t do it in his immediate social circles.
So he probably thought that we’d do the same thing with Kaya or that she was a fun challenge between twin brothers. See who nails her first or some shit like that.
Again, I can’t really blame him because Reid and I did stuff like that all the time in high school.
But things changed when we met Kaya, with her it wasn’t about self-gratification or simply getting our rocks off. With her it was love and I suspect that it was that kind of love that you experience only once in a lifetime, at least for me. Because I’ve done everything to forget about her and I’m back to where I was three years ago. Actually, I’m even worse, I love Kaya even more. And knowing how it feels to be with her, how the words ‘I love you’ sound on her lips, makes everything a whole lot harder.
And Kaya was also the reason why I stepped down from frat president. I heard her and Karen talking about her joining the Zetas and because we’ve got such a close relationship with that sorority, I decided that it would be better to step down and give myself the chance to stay away if things became too hard.
I also knew that Reid really wanted the presidency and last year he didn’t run because I did, so I thought it would be a win-win to let him have his time to shine, so to speak.
Talking about Reid, he’s been in a sour mood all afternoon and for once I really don’t blame him.
Oliver seems hellbent on humiliating us, he obviously wants to have control of the Gamma house and he’s convinced that the way to get what he wants is by belittling me and my brother. You know, like when a new emperor would have to kill his predecessor after a war to show his subjects that he was strong.
Another way he decided to assert his power over us is that he gave us the fucking smallest rooms in the house, rooms that are usually reserved for sophomores or juniors, never to seniors and especially not a past president.
I knock on Reid’s door with a sigh: it’s not too bad for me because I don’t live here full time, I only ever used even my presidential suite to crash after a party or to bring a hook up to, keeping my room in our house as my sanctuary. Reid has decided to live here full time and I know it fucking stings to have a shitty room on the ground floor near the game room. I’d tell him to move back in with us, since his room is going to be empty all year but I’m sure that his reason for wanting out was that with Kaya seeing Bryce and Parker, he knew she’d probably be around a lot and he wasn’t prepared to bear it.
In a way, I envy my twin: he’s way stronger than me and better than me in his resolve to stay away.
So the least that I can do is support him the best I can if he comes to blows with the new frat president.
4.
Party
Kaya
WE ARRIVE AT THE ZETA house when the party is already crowded and you know me, I’m not a huge party girl so I look at the scene in front of me a little wide-eyed.
People are really well dressed and seem to be oddly composed for what I think I know about sorority parties. But then again, all I know is what I saw on TV in all those college movies and TV shows.
There’s music but it isn’t loud enough to cover the conversations, there’s drinks being served but I don’t see anyone doing body shots or doing anything crazy.
So I look around bewildered by what looks like a classy tea party attended by slightly drunken people.
Yeah, because that’s where the reality doesn’t totally fit the picture in front of my eyes. The way one girl is holding her canapé, swirling it in the air while she’s talking, the way some of the guys in the opposite corner are talking and laughing a little too loudly, with exaggerated hand gestures and the glassy quality of everyone’s gazes tell me that they’re all drunk, or stoned or both.
“Kaya! Glad you could make it!”
Valeria comes to greet me flanked by Erin and another girl, a rail thin redhead in a beige lace dress that in all honesty makes her look naked.
“Hey Parker, hey Bryce. I see you already met Kaya?” she says eyeing up the boys who are standing on each side of me and twirling a strand of her long blonde hair around her index finger in an openly flirty way.
I don’t know what it is in her gaze that makes me want to step closer to both my boys to signal that they’re not available, that they’re mine.
Or at least, I don’t want them to be available and this feeling strengthens my resolve to talk to Chase about our situation. I need to tell the truth about that night and if they’ll still want me, I want to put a label on my relationship with Parker and Bryce. I want to be exclusive and to call them my boyfriends. I want to—
My train of thought is interrupted by Valeria again.
“Anyway, we’re waiting for the Gamma president to arrive and then we’ll start the party games. All the aspiring pledges are required to join, so that we can evaluate and make a decision on who’ll be allowed to pledge both ΖΘΒ and ΓΔΤ. In the meantime, why don’t you a have a skinny margarita? It’s my special recipe.” She snaps her French manicured fingers. “Rachelle, margarita for Kaya and beers for Parker and Bryce, please.”
The redhead makes a move toward the drink table and Erin offers to help.
“Yeah, just make sure you only help with the drinks, Erin. The canapés aren’t for you. Sisters like you are the main reason why we need the margaritas to be skinny.” Then she turns to whisper at me but loudly enough that Erin and most of the people around us can hear. “I swear she must’ve spent the summer eating cheese back in Wisconsin. Seriously, the Zetas aren’t for the homely types, if you want to fit in, you need to do something about your figure.” Then even louder to Erin, “It’s decided, you’re going running with me every morning from Monday.”